South Hill Natural Area East
Nature preserve
337 acres4.1 mi of trail
East TrailGold TrailBlue TrailBoothroyd Woods Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto J Lot (Red Section)
Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in South Hill
Few parks or trails are on the map in South Hill
The biggest trail networks: South Hill Natural Area East (4.1 mi), Buttermilk Falls State Park (3.6 mi), South Hill Natural Area West (1.8 mi). 25% of South Hill’s land is conserved, about 933 acres. 850 acres are parks and preserves, 122 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
25%
933 acres · of 5.9 sq mi of land
Trails
16 mi
2.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
850 ac
122 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
90%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.2 mi
4.2 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is South Hill Natural Area East, with 4.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Buttermilk Falls State Park
Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
333 acres3.6 mi of trail
Campground TrailRim TrailOwl Creek TrailLake Treman Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Buttermilk Falls State ParkWebsite ↗
South Hill Natural Area West
Nature preserve
67 acres1.8 mi of trail
Access TrailCentral LoopNorth LoopSouth Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Who protects it
933 conserved acres
25% of South Hill’s land. Who manages South Hill’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city810 ac
State parks333 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits260 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government3 ac
Local Park · 419 acLocal Conservation Area · 390 acState Park · 333 acPrivate Conservation · 171 acUnknown Easement · 89 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 88 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 11 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Six Mile Creek Natural Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 388 | Open |
| City of Ithaca Land Local Park | Town or city | 384 | Unknown |
| Buttermilk Falls State Park State Park | State parks | 333 | Open |
| Eldridge Wilderness Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 171 | Open |
| Town of Ithaca Land Local Park | Town or city | 36 | Unknown |
| Ithaca Town Lands Local Resource Management Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 3 | Open |
| Unknown Open Space Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 2 | Open |
Things to do
9 places to go in South Hill
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Swimming spots in South Hill
1 swimming spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in South Hill
Troy Park
DirectionsVincenzo Iacovelli Park
DirectionsPlus 1 playground without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in South Hill
Buttermilk FallsIn Buttermilk Falls State Park
DirectionsPlus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in South Hill
2 picnic areas without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Campgrounds in South Hill
Buttermilk Falls CampgroundIn Buttermilk Falls State Park
DirectionsTrails & water
19 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 5.7 mi
East Trail1.7 mi
Campground Trail1.0 mi
Rim Trail0.8 mi
Owl Creek Trail0.7 mi
Gold Trail0.5 mi
Lake Treman Trail0.4 mi
Access Trail0.4 mi
North Loop0.4 mi
Gorge Trail0.4 mi
Central Loop0.4 mi
9 more trails
South Loop
0.3 miBlue Trail
0.3 miBoothroyd Woods Trail
0.2 miNature (Green) / Blue Trail
0.2 miCentral/North Loop
0.2 miNature (Green) / Gold Trail
0.2 miWest Loop
0.2 miNature (Green) / Blue / Gold Trail
0.2 miBlue / Gold Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.2 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
12Tennis
5Football
3Soccer
2Baseball
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in South Hill: May and August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 34 | 42 | 56 | 68 | 76 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 59 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 2.7 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.2 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in South Hill →
Next door
South Hill and its neighbors
South Hill has the most mapped trails of the 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Hill | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| East Ithaca | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Ithaca | 15% | 1.9 | 17 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in South Hill
Where can I hike in South Hill?
The longest trail networks: South Hill Natural Area East, 4.1 miles; Buttermilk Falls State Park, 3.6 miles; South Hill Natural Area West, 1.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on South Hill’s trails?
South Hill Natural Area East and Buttermilk Falls State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in South Hill?
4.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.2 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near South Hill?
31,767 acres of parks and open public land lie inside South Hill or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 850 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from South Hill neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →